Our Mission

Recreation Restoration Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt non profit organization dedicated to giving all kids the childhood they deserve, filled with active play, so they can thrive.

Recreation Restoration Foundation works to bring balanced and active play into the daily lives of people, particularly children growing up without adequate recreational facilities and programs. We do this by funding and restoring great places to play, sponsoring children to attend recreational camps, inspiring communities to promote and support play and driving the national discussion about the importance of play in fostering healthy and productive lives.

To achieve this goal, Recreation Restoration Foundation works to catalyze and recreate great places to play, empower advocates to promote and protect play, and elevate public discourse around the importance of play.

We believe recreation matters to all people because the science affirms that play is critical to overall health, development and well-being. Moreover, play can help tackle a number of urgent issues plaguing our society — especially those present among low-income communities.

The Issue

The issue is that America’s kids are playing less than any previous generation. In part, this is because kids ages 8 to 18 now spend almost half of their days in front of televisions, computers, and mobile devices instead of engaging in active play. Only one in four children gets an hour of physical activity or active play every day.

As recreation has decreased, obesity rates and behavioral and cognitive disorders have increased. Childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years, and in 2011, the decline of play was linked to suicide rates that have quadrupled among teenagers under the age of 15, along with the rise of depression and anxiety in kids and young adults. And, of course, schools without recess face more incidents of classroom behavioral problems, from kids’ emotional outbursts to problems interacting with their peers and teachers.

The Answer

There is reason to be hopeful: the promise of recreational services and facilities.

Children who have recreation as part of their daily life, do better in school, become better team players, and develop into more creative thinkers — and they are much more likely to carry these skills into adulthood.

Children who play are happier, smarter, and more social creatures — as are their communities. They stand a stronger chance of developing into happy, healthy, smart, successful adults than children who do not.

This is why we are dedicated to giving all children the play they deserve by bringing together parents, advocates, and communities to ensure that people have the opportunity to play every day, everywhere. Our GoPlay Sponsorship programs/events fund recreational programs that enhance children’s lives.